Radio World

The National Association of Broadcasters released the list of finalists for the 2021 NAB Marconi Radio Awards.

The awards honor stations, managers and air personalities for excellence in broadcasting. Winners will be announced at the fall Radio Show in Las Vegas in October.

This year’s NAB Marconi Radio Award finalists are:

LEGENDARY STATION OF THE YEAR
WNCX-FM, Cleveland, OH
WSB-AM, Atlanta, GA
KIIS-FM, Los Angeles, CA
KYGO-FM, Denver, CO
WHUR-FM, Washington, DC

LEGENDARY MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Ben Downs, Bryan Broadcasting
Joel Oxley, WTOP-FM
Joe Bell, Beasley Media Group
Ben Mevorach, WINS-AM
Mimi Brown, WEQX-FM

NETWORK/SYNDICATED PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
DL Hughley, Reach Media, Inc.
George Noory, Premiere Networks
Rickey Smiley, Reach Media, Inc.
DJ Digital – XXL Higher Level Radio, Townsquare Media Group
Ace & TJ Button, iHeartRadio

MAJOR MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Joe Soto, WVAZ-FM, Chicago, IL
Ellen K, KOST-FM, Los Angeles, CA
The Musers, Dunham, Miller & Keith, KTCK-AM, Dallas, TX
Melissa Forman, WLIT-FM, Chicago, IL
Hawkeye in the Morning, KSCS-FM, Dallas, TX

LARGE MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Jack Harris, WFLA-AM, Tampa, FL
Ann Kelly, WDUV-FM, Tampa Bay, FL
C4 and Bryan Nehman, WBAL-AM, Baltimore, MD
Mike Calta, WHPT-FM, St. Petersburg, FL
Dan Mandis, WWTN-FM, Nashville, TN

MEDIUM MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Dan Potter, KRMG-FM, Tulsa, OK
Kevin Miller, KIDO-AM, Boise, ID
Harlen the Sports Guy and Pigskin Bob, KYKX-FM, Tyler, TX
Simon Conway, WHO-AM, Des Moines, IA
Buzz Jackson, KIIM-FM, Tucson, AZ

SMALL MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Cosmo and Lauren, KTXY-FM, Columbia, MO
Chris and Rosie, WUSQ-FM, Winchester, VA
John Raynar, KKHJ-FM, Pago Pago, AS
Brian Lee and Chris Wolfe, KZOQ-FM, Missoula, MT
Frito and Katy, KNDE-FM, College Station, TX

MAJOR MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
WQHT-FM, New York, NY
WKYS-FM, Washington, DC
WBZ-FM, Boston, MA
KYW-AM, Philadelphia, PA
WINS-AM, New York, NY

LARGE MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
KTMY-FM, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
WALK-FM, Long Island, NY
WTMJ-AM, Milwaukee, WI
WVKL-FM, Norfolk, VA
WKRQ-FM, Cincinnati, OH

MEDIUM MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
WSGW-AM, Saginaw/Bay City, Midland, MI
KRMG-FM, Tulsa, OK
WHO-AM, Des Moines, IA
WHBC-AM, Canton, OH
WERO-FM, New Bern, NC

SMALL MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
KVOM-FM, Little Rock-Pine Bluff, AR
WJJY-FM, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
WFMD-AM, Frederick, MD
WTAW-AM, College Station, TX
WNRP-AM, Pensacola, FL

BEST RADIO PODCAST OF THE YEAR
“We Need to Talk,” WGTS-FM, Washington, DC
“Pregnancy Pearls,” Audacy
“Garage Logic,” Hubbard Radio
“Purple Daily,” KSTP-AM, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
“Outkick the Coverage with Clay Travis,” Premiere Radio Networks

AC STATION OF THE YEAR
WLTW-FM, New York, NY
WTMX-FM, Chicago, IL
WREW-FM, Cincinnati, OH
KSTP-FM, St. Paul, MN
KOIT-FM, San Francisco, CA

CHR STATION OF THE YEAR
KNDE-FM, College Station, TX
KTXY-FM, Columbia, MO
WHTZ-FM, New York, NY
WPOI-FM, St. Petersburg, FL
WBLI-FM, Long Island, NY

CLASSIC HITS STATION OF THE YEAR
KRTH-FM, Los Angeles, CA
WOGL-FM, Philadelphia, PA
WCBS-FM, New York, NY
WMGK-FM, Philadelphia, PA
WXGL-FM, St. Petersburg, FL

COLLEGE RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
WRHU-FM, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
WMSC-FM, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ
WRRC-FM, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
WPSC-FM, William Patterson University, Wayne, NJ
WSOU-FM, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ

COUNTRY STATION OF THE YEAR
WYCT-FM, Pensacola, FL
WXFL-FM, Florence, AL
KNUC-FM, Seattle, WA
KCLR-FM, Columbia, MO
WYCD-FM, Detroit, MI

NEWS/TALK STATION OF THE YEAR
WSB-AM, Atlanta, GA
WTOP-FM, Washington, DC
KSSZ-FM, Columbia, MO
WLW-AM, Cincinnati, OH
KNX-AM, Los Angeles, CA

RELIGIOUS STATION OF THE YEAR
WGRB-AM, Chicago, IL
KKJM-FM, St. Cloud, MN
WGTS-FM, Washington, DC
KLTY-FM, Dallas, Fort Worth, TX
KFIA-AM, Sacramento, CA

ROCK STATION OF THE YEAR
KLOS-FM, Los Angeles, CA
WPLR-FM, New Haven, CT
WGBF-FM, Evansville, IN
WIYY-FM, Baltimore, MD
KCMQ-FM, Columbia, MO

SPANISH STATION OF THE YEAR
KLLI-FM, Los Angeles, CA
WXNY-FM, New York, NY
KLNV-FM, San Diego, CA
WLZL-FM, Washington, DC

SPORTS STATION OF THE YEAR
WMFS-FM, Memphis, TN
KXNO-AM, Des Moines, IA
WIP-FM, Philadelphia, PA
KTCK-AM, Dallas, TX
WXYT-FM, Detroit, MI

URBAN STATION OF THE YEAR
WALR-FM, Atlanta, GA
WGCI-FM, Chicago, IL
WEDR-FM, Miami, FL
WWPR-FM, New York, NY
WMBX-FM, West Palm Beach, FL

 

The post NAB Announces Marconi Radio Award Finalists appeared first on Radio World.

The Society of Broadcast Engineers wants to make sure that a new wireless mic technology, if allowed by the Federal Communications Commission, won’t cause spectrum havoc.

The SBE has submitted detailed comments about proposed changes to Part 74 rules that would allow the use of Wireless Multi-Channel Audio Systems in broadcast TV bands and other Part 74 bands on a licensed basis.

WMAS systems have been proposed by wireless mic manufacturers like Sennheiser and Shure, and the FCC has an notice of proposed rulemaking open, asking for comments about them.

The engineering society told the commission it is “not opposed to the use of WMAS technology in the subject allocations,” but it said the use of WMAS in existing wireless microphone and low-power auxiliary service allocations should be subject to coordination with SBE local market frequency coordinators.

It also said WMAS systems should be operated only on a non-interference basis to incumbent wireless mic technologies, especially at UHF, “so as to not reduce further the nominal, residual UHF spectrum available for current technology wireless microphones.”

SBE also said WMAS should not be viewed as a replacement for conventional narrowband systems.

“Finally, the commission should carefully test and evaluate the increase in the noise floor that might result from the overlay of WMAS on incumbent narrowband wireless mic operation, and the effect of any such noise floor increases on the latter facilities,” it wrote.

“Reportedly, WMAS has a greater potential for interference than does current narrowband wireless mic technology, and WMAS has not been shown to be compatible with the large deployment of narrowband wireless microphones.”

SBE said it endorses the FCC’s efforts to encourage spectrum efficiency in the “extremely limited BAS allocations” available for wireless mics and other auxiliary facilities. “However, SBE urges that the commission not view this proceeding as a sufficient response to the critical shortage in available spectrum for wireless microphones, especially in the UHF television bands.”

Its full filing goes into detail about the recent history of spectrum management affecting wireless microphones. [Read the filing.]

SBE concludes: “We are hopeful that the commission will recognize that the authorization of WMAS must be done carefully so as to not further disrupt incumbent narrowband wireless mic operation, especially at UHF, and that the commission should establish as a high priority to make further accommodation for continued UHF wireless microphone and LPAS operation … Moreover, the commission should require that all users of WMAS technology participate in the frequency coordination process established as a service to the industry by SBE prior to commencement of operation at any given location.”

As we reported yesterday, the National Association of Broadcasters gave cautious support to the proposed use of WMAS, calling on the FCC to allow it on a “secondary basis” with “prudent restrictions” on its operations.

The post SBE: New Wireless Systems Need Frequency Coordination appeared first on Radio World.

A graphic on the WideOrbit website depicts the Electronic Material Instructions process.

WideOrbit announced a new release of its WO Traffic ad sales and commercial operations platform for broadcasters.

“The newest release of WO Traffic marks a significant milestone in the industry with the introduction of the Electronic Material Instructions module, the first automated solution to address the long-standing need to simplify and streamline the material instructions process,” it stated in a press release.

The licensed module integrates with several material instructions providers including ECN, PremiumMedia360, ITN Networks and SpotGenie. More integrations are planned, including Warren Lamb and vCreative.

“These integrations simplify the exchange of new and revised material instructions, helping broadcasters reduce errors (and costly makegoods) while increasing staff productivity,” the company stated.

WO Traffic v21.0 has other enhancements including more intuitive log editing functionality, a customizable Inventory Analysis Report and improved New Orders navigation with easier property location and selection.

The announcement was made by Chief Product Officer Will Offeman, who called the EMI module “a significant step forward in automation for what was previously a highly manual process.”

Info: www.wideorbit.com

The post WideOrbit Releases WO Traffic v21.0 appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World’s Buyer’s Guide section turns each summer to the important category of codecs and related products used for remote broadcasting, STLs and infrastructure planning. Read about the latest from AEQ, Angry Audio, Barix, Comrex, Ferncast, GatesAir, Telos Alliance, Tieline, WorldCast and 2wcom.

Also, Ryan Star of Stationhead explains why he thinks the future of radio is in social audio. The Federal Communications Commission looks at possible changes to several radio technical rules. Clay Freinwald will ease back in his duties at the Washington state SECC. And Workbench has a tip about keeping bees out of your feed horn.

Read the issue.

The post Inside the Aug. 4, 2021 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

John Whittingdale

The United Kingdom’s Office of Communications is asking for comments about its plan to relicense the country’s two national commercial radio DAB multiplex licenses.

Ofcom is hoping to gather opinions from stakeholders about different roadmaps to renew the national commercial digital radio licenses held by Digital One Limited and Sound Digital Limited. Together those organizations provide access to 40 free-to-air commercial digital radio stations across the nation.

Digital One Limited launched in 1999 and carries three national analog commercial services — Classic FM, TalkSport and Absolute Radio — as well as 17 other services, reaching around 91% of UK homes. Sound Digital Limited launched in 2016 and currently reaches 83% of UK homes. The Digital One license is set to expire in November 2023 while the Sound Digital license will expire March 2028.

The aim of the review is to seek views and collect information in an effort to better inform decisions about the licensing process, said John Whittingdale, OBE MP, minister of State for Media and Data for the UK, who posted a wide-ranging document on the issue. It describes the policy and regulatory issues, lists policy options for consultation and sets out a series of key questions.

He said the goal is come up with a plan that will clarify that the relicensing process for these national radio multiplexes works in the best interests of the commercial radio industry and audiences across the UK.

“We believe it is appropriate to give consideration to the policy on the licensing and renewal of the national DAB multiplex licenses to give the commercial radio operators who use these networks clarity and certainty about the future of the platform and ensure there is no disruption of the services broadcast on the network,” he wrote.

The department is seeking views on three potential options: one, to allow the two licenses to expire and be re-advertised through an open competition every 12 years; two, to amend the Broadcasting Act of 1996 and allow both companies to renew their license until December 2035; or three, amend the broadcasting act so that both licenses have a matching expiry date of December 2030.

A longer renewal term would provide national broadcasters and license holders with stability that in turn would help support the government objective to support a listener-led transition of radio to digital, he said.

A shorter license renewal term would harmonize the expiration dates and allow for a more strategic approach to be taken in regard to the use of broadcast spectrum by commercial radio in the 2030s; for example by allocating more spectrum to national, local or small scale DAB services.

The department is also seeking views on other issues such as whether a renewed license should include obligations for a higher level of DAB coverage, and whether in offering a renewal to 2030 or 2035 there is need for a mechanism to protect stations that are carried on either multiplex from future carriage fees charged by the national commercial radio multiplex operators.

The review period is open now and runs until Sept. 14. Responses can be sent to nationalmultiplexconsultation2021@dcms.gov.uk.

The post UK Looking for Opinions on Relicensing of DAB Radio Licenses appeared first on Radio World.

COVID has disrupted another broadcast event. The Alabama Broadcasters Association has postponed its annual conference until January.

“While we are disappointed to have to make this change, it is in everyone’s best interest,” ABA stated in an email. “The surge in the rate of infections and hospitalizations has to be addressed. We’ll all do our part and put off our gathering for a few more months.”

The conference was to have been held Aug. 13 and 14. It will now be held on Jan. 21 and 22 at Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Birmingham.

Companies of interest to Radio World readers that were listed as exhibitors for the event include BGS, Bonneville Distribution, Dielectric, GatesAir, Nautel, RCS, SCMS, Shively, Telos Alliance and Tieline.

The association said people who have already registered can email ABA either to hold the registration for January or request a refund.

Meanwhile, 680 miles to the southwest, the Texas Association of Broadcasters opened its two-day convention and trade show in Austin on Tuesday.

The post Alabama Broadcast Conference Postponed appeared first on Radio World.

The National Association of Broadcasters supports the proposed use of a new wireless microphone technology if the Federal Communications Commission allows it on a “secondary basis” with “prudent restrictions” on its operations.

The technology is called the Wideband Multichannel Audio System. It was first proposed by Sennheiser and is being actively supported by Shure, which has made several presentations to FCC staff about it.

The commission has been taking comments on whether WMAS technology should be granted on a licensed basis in frequency bands where wireless mics are already authorized. This includes TV bands, the 600 MHz duplex gap and in portions of the 900 MHz, 1.4 GHz and 7 GHz bands. The NPRM also looks at using WMAS on an unlicensed basis.

In comments filed Monday, the NAB said WMAS could help relieve spectrum congestion in situations where a large number of wireless microphones are needed.

But because WMAS “has a greater potential for interference and is not compatible with legacy narrowband wireless microphone deployments,” NAB said, the FCC should put restrictions in place to “help reduce the potential for interference to primary spectrum users and to ensure that spectrum efficiency is actually improved.”

[Read the full filing.]

Notably, the NAB says the commission should limit WMAS operations to large events.

“WMAS systems occupy more spectrum than traditional wireless microphone systems. As a result, the use of WMAS systems has a preclusive effect on traditional systems where spectrum is limited. For example, if there is only a single 6 MHz TV channel available for use at a breaking news event, one news crew using a WMAS system could occupy the entire channel and prevent coverage by other news organizations.”

So the association said the commission should limit use of the technology to situations where a large number of audio channels are needed and all channels are under control of one entity, such as arena concerts, big sporting events, TV and movie production and major theatrical shows. It suggested that an appropriate threshold would be 10 audio channels in use by a single entity.

“As an added measure, NAB suggests the commission only authorize WMAS base stations that are designed to prevent transmission when fewer than 10 paired audio devices are detected.”

NAB also said the FCC should require a minimum efficiency of six audio channels per megahertz.

“The commission’s proposal of at least three audio channels per megahertz appears to represent no meaningful efficiency improvement, particularly if the audio channels are not of broadcast or production/performance quality. … Based upon marketing information from one of the petitioners, existing digital wireless microphone systems can support at least 47 audio channels in a six MHz RF channel, albeit with some restrictions, corresponding to a spectrum efficiency of 7.8 channels per MHz. NAB understands that WMAS can support up to 64 audio channels in 6 MHz of RF bandwidth, corresponding to an efficiency of 10.7 channels per MHz. A baseline efficiency requirement for WMAS of six channels per MHz would thus represent an improvement upon what is available using existing technologies but be comfortably below the theoretical maximum efficiency of WMAS technology.”

The association asked the commission to restrict WMAS eligibility to Part 74 licensees and to limit the new systems to 6 MHz bandwidth.

And NAB agrees with an FCC proposal to limit these systems to 250 mW EIRP in the UHF television bands, regardless of the bandwidth of the WMAS operation.

“NAB believes this 250 mW power level would be sufficient power to accommodate a large number of WMAS audio devices while reasonably limiting the co-channel interference potential to that of conventional wireless microphone deployments. An EIRP limit of 250 mW also maintains the necessary protection of WMAS to television stations operating on adjacent channels.”

 

The post NAB Supports WMAS, With Restrictions appeared first on Radio World.

College sports media company Learfield IMG College is simplifying its name. It will now be called Learfield.

The name Learfield derives from co-founders Clyde Lear and Derry Brownfield, who started a farm radio network in Missouri in 1972. A series of business combinations and acquisitions had led to the most recent name, Learfield IMG College.

The company is a media and technology services supplier in intercollegiate athletics; its specialties include sports multimedia rights, licensing, technology and data.

“We think the new brand visually distinguishes the company in the same way that the expertise and passion of our people differentiate the experience of working with Learfield and its affiliated brands,” said CEO Cole Gahagan in the announcement.

The change includes a new logo. “The icon represents the ‘pennant’ prominent in company logomarks combined with a stylized ‘number one’ to create an active L design,” according to the announcement.

[Related story: Randy Williams of Learfield, shown below, talks about gear in our special series on microphones in radio applications.]

Randy Williams with some of his favorite gear.

The post Learfield IMG College Is Now Simply Learfield appeared first on Radio World.

Black Lion Audio has launched its PG-P Portable Power Conditioner, built around its proprietary PG-P portable filtering technology.

It says the aim is to provide the same level of noise filtering as found in rack-mount power conditioners.

Black Lion says that the power conditioner is built using Panasonic capacitors, selected to help eliminate high-frequency noise. As a result, the unit provides studio-grade power-on-the-go via six wall-wart-spaced outlets, as well as Ground OK, Protection On and Clean Power On LEDs.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

PG-P is available to purchase through Black Lion Audio’s global network of dealers/distributors with a MAP of $69.

The unit comes on the heels of the new PG-2, a pro power conditioner that Black Lion recently introduced, offering a 120 V Power Grid of 14 outlets in a 2U rack-mountable chassis.

The PG-2 sports proprietary PG-99 Filtering Technology, alongside a suite of status and alert capabilities, all of which Black Lion says helps the unit provide an average of 99.7% of noise filtering.

The power conditioner features Panasonic and Wimi capacitors, and offers filtration with a reported power absorption rating of 2,775 joules. Also, the PG-2 features a bank of 12 switched, filtered, and surge-protected outlets on its back panel arranged as three groups — four digital audio outlets, four analog audio outlets and four high current outlets.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

Info: www.blacklionaudio.com

 

The post Black Lion Audio Launches PG-P Portable Power Conditioner appeared first on Radio World.

An Alabama broadcaster faces a $4,500 fine for not filing for license renewal on time.

The Media Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission issued the notice of apparent liability to Autaugaville Radio Inc., saying the broadcaster failed to file by the deadline required for seeking renewal of licenses for its AM station WXKD in Brantley, Ala., and its FM translator W292HL in Troy.

The applications for renewal should have been filed by April 1, the first day of the fourth full calendar month prior to the expiration dates for the licenses. The commission said the broadcaster eventually filed prior to license expiration, but that it did not explain its failure to meet the earlier deadline.

The company now has 30 days to pay, respond or appeal. The proposed fine consists of the full $3,000 base forfeiture amount for the AM and a reduced forfeiture of $1,500 for translator.

The Media Bureau found no other issues with the license renewal applications, which it indicated it plans to approve once the forfeiture proceeding is finalized.

 

The post Alabama Station Faces Fine for Late License Renewal appeared first on Radio World.

The Calrec Type R compact console at Athens, Greece’s Pepper 96.6 FM.

Pepper 96.6 FM in Greece’s capital city of Athens has chosen to install a Calrec Type R compact console.

Station Technical Director Anastasios Labropoulos cited the console’s compatibility and flexibility with IP technology as one of the deciding factors, along with “ease of utilization; ease of upgrading software; and last but not least, the number of I/Os and faders.” He singled out the onboard mic preamps as being of “great quality.”

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The small six-fader mixer and screen fit the station’s requirements. “Since we are primarily a music station, we had no need for a larger console; the current configuration of the Type R with specific I/O and faders fully covers our needs,” Labropoulos explained.

Calrec’s Greek partner Bon Studio S.A. provided key services.

Submit announcements for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Athens Station Selects Calrec Type R appeared first on Radio World.

Tanita Myers is the director of news operations for iHeartMedia’s Black Information Network. She discusses the inner workings and reason for the news and information source.

She was interviewed by Suzanne Gougherty, director of MMTC Media and Telecom Brokers at the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. MMTC commentaries appear regularly in Radio World, which welcomes other points of view on industry issues.

Suzanne Gougherty: Soon to be BIN’s first anniversary, I imagine it has been a super exciting year – being part of historical launch of the FIRST Radio News outlet dedicated to serving the Black community, please tell us a few of your top highlights?
Tanita Myers: The Black Information Network’s first anniversary is such a wonderful milestone. In fact, it’s historic. It is such a privilege to be part of a network whose mission is to inform my community on issues that affect us every day and to have our stories told by people who look just like me.

The Black Information Network came along at just the right time as America and the world was dealing with a racial reckoning. It always seemed as if the mainstream media would only report the negativity within the Black community, therefore providing viewers with a slanted perspective on the experiences within the Black community.

At the Black Information Network we get to dive in deeper to expose the roots of some of the disparities that have plagued our community; but more importantly we also have the opportunity to highlight the incredible strides, accomplishments and sheer ingenuity of what makes Black people an incredible part of the world’s fabric.

[Read: Coles Takes a Bold Step]

There have been many highlights this past year including our coverage of the historic election of Vice President Kamala Harris, BIN’s live coverage of the Derek Chauvin trial and of course the opportunity to pay homage to civil rights leaders who have helped paved the way for true progress for the African-American community.

I’m also proud of how BIN has covered international stories such as the fighting in Tigray region of Ethiopia, lack of COVID resources in Haiti and the strife of Black people around the world who have also started their own Black Lives Matter movements.

I beam with joy every day to lead an award-winning team of journalist who brings these stories to life, from our perspective in our voice.

Gougherty: You not only produce news content, you’re a host, along with an array of other responsibilities, how to you juggle day-to-day operations? And what takes priority?
Myers: Juggling day-to-day operations is easy because of the extraordinary talented team that surrounds me. They are all personally invested in making sure BIN highlights the most important stories that educate and inform our listeners. Our priority lies in finding and researching the stories about Black experiences — whether police brutality, systemic racism, oppressive laws, voting rights, opportunities for Blacks to prosper, build thriving communities and more. The old adage that “knowledge is power” is something we subscribe to.

Gougherty: When and how does your day start and end? How do you relax?
Myers: My day begins at 2:30 a.m. ET which allows me to prep for our first editorial pitch meeting at 3 a.m. ET. I also use that time to catch up on overnight emails and news to make sure we are always accurate in our reporting. The 3 a.m. pitch meeting is just one of several during the course of the day. During pitch/editorial our anchors and I discuss what stories should take priority for that day’s reporting and what angles are most relevant to the Black community. The last editorial of the day is at 7 p.m.; after which I spend a couple of hours catching up on emails and checking various wires. Somedays the news cycle moves pretty fast, so I like to make sure we’ve tapped all resources such as social media to ensure we are giving untold stories the exposure needed to invoke change or inspire our community to greatness.

Gougherty: That sounds like a busy, work-dominated schedule. Do you have time to relax or break away?
Myers: Wow, relaxation? What a great question. I really enjoy my job, so sometimes it’s hard for me to relax in the “traditional” sense. There is always news going on! With that being said, I do love to cook and listen to music, usually both as the same time. I’m a pescatarian/vegan, if that’s a real thing, so I love trying out new recipes while listening to some good music of all genres and tempos.

Gougherty: What do you feel are some of the most important issues that impact the Black community? And how do you and your team determine what content is given priority 
Myers: The most important issues affecting the Black community are varied, but usually boil down to the same buckets. Systemic racism, police brutality, economic and health disparities, creating generational wealth and education. Each is a priority and we try our best to make sure we cover the it all.

Gougherty: What were the steps you took to prepare your team for the Chauvin trail? Who was the lead reporter? Tell us about BIN’s live coverage on the ground in St. Paul?
Myers: The Chauvin trial was this generation’s “trial of the century.” We launched the Black Information Network a month after George Floyd’s murder, so we began investigating and reporting all aspects of the case from Day One. When it came time to prepare for the trial we made sure to encompass all facts so we could accurately inform our listeners of how we got to this point in this horrific crime. The Chauvin trial was more than just seeking justice for George Floyd’s murder, the Black community also saw this trial as an opportunity to gain justice for all the other cases of police brutality that were never prosecuted. Because of the magnitude of the trial, for the first time the Black Information Network went live with a daily wrap up special of the day’s court proceedings with legal analysis and reactions from civil rights leaders from around the country. Vanessa Tyler helmed our coverage with contributions from the whole entire staff to make sure we covered every angle of this story.

Gougherty: BIN is on many stations coast to coast, how is local news, weather coordinated and communicated to all the various platforms — from the iHeartRadio apps, smart TV, smart speakers, etc. and over the airwaves?
Myers: The Black Information Network is growing daily and we are absolutely excited to bring local coverage to each of those communities. We have a team of reporters who are dedicated to researching and telling the stories that impact residents in their neighborhoods. When curating the local segments, the Black Information Network homes in on state, city, municipal politics and laws that effect their everyday lives. We also make sure we provide resources that residents can use to benefit their quality of life and empower them to strengthen their communities to generate positive outcomes. We have a wonderful partnership with Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN) and they have a stellar team of reporters who accurately deliver traffic and weather updates to our markets.

Gougherty: Do you have a news assignment desk?
Myers: We definitely have an assignment desk, but our anchors are the real drivers of sourcing news content. Once our daily editorial meeting is completed, stories are assigned based on block type. We cover news, entertainment, sports, and money. We are also fortunate to air commentaries from Roland S. Martin and Mo Kelley that focus on the liberal perspective. Additionally, since Black folks are not monolithic, we are also air conservative commentaries from Black talk show host James T. Harris.

Gougherty: Can you tell us about feature stories? Especially the good news stories that happen often in Black communities that are often overlooked in mainstream media.
Myers: There are so many “good news” stories that are overlooked and I’m so glad that we get the opportunity to showcase the Black community in such a positive light. My hope is that sharing these types of stories with our audience will inspire others to greatness and let them know that they too can succeed or become a positive leader in their communities. We also have a feature called “That’s A Fact” — where we applaud the accomplishments of Black people throughout history and those who are making history today. It’s important for our audience to know how wonderfully talented Black people are and the positive innovating things we have contributed to the world at large.

[See More Interviews With Suzanne Gougherty]

Gougherty: How do you assess the end of a news cycle day?
Myers: Ha! The news never ends. We are a 24/7 news network and the word operates on the same clock — news never sleeps.

Gougherty: What experience and understanding of the news industry did you have before joining BIN and how did it assist with the launch of BIN?
Myers: I’ve worked in traditional newsrooms before, but I think the most relevant experience of my career was the 16 years I spent with Tom Joyner. I’m originally from Phoenix, Ariz., and when growing up the Black population was below 10% so there weren’t very many opportunities to learn about our history — just the basics that was taught in school books.

I always tell people that my HBCU is Tom Joyner University. While there I learned so much about who we are as Black people, our history, and the importance of pride in all we do. He also taught me the importance of telling our stories and being unapologetically Black. Tom values education, civil rights, economic empowerment and closing the gap in our health disparities; these are the lessons I take with me every day into the BIN newsroom. I will be forever grateful for the life and broadcast “pearls of wisdom” I learned from The Fly Jock. Without the TJMS experience, I’m not too sure I would have been able to help guide this network into its true purpose of telling our stories, in our voice, from our perspective.

 

The post Getting a Look Inside the BIN appeared first on Radio World.

Microphone and headphone maker Audio-Technica has a new microphone for podcasters and others, the AT2040.

A release explains the aim is to “professional broadcast-quality sound to podcasters and other content creators at an accessible price.”

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

The AT2040 is a hypercardioid dynamic mic for a tight capture pattern in less-than-optimal situations. It includes an internal pop filter and an integrated shockmount. The housing is metal for durability.

A 5/8-inch-27 to 3/8-inch-16 threaded adapter/standmount is side-attached for optimizing arm/boom-mounting.

Audio-Technica’s Gary Boss said, “Audio-Technica microphones have been embraced by streamers, YouTubers and other content creators in recent years, but previously we didn’t offer a dynamic hypercardioid microphone so finely-tuned to the needs of podcasters. … the AT2040, with its smooth vocal reproduction and focused pickup that will help take your podcast to the next level.”

Price: $99

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

Info: www.audio-technica.com

 

The post A-T Releases Podcast Mic appeared first on Radio World.

Much of South Dakota looks like this stretch of I-90, visible straight all the way to the horizon. The author’s FM translator can’t be heard in cars beyond about 15 miles. Photo: Getty Images/Mike Kline

The author is a consulting engineer and station owner.

I’ve been in the broadcast engineering field since 1963, since the days of microphonic 6J7s in audio consoles thumping on the air to the announcers tapping the beat with his fingers, and changing coupling capacitors in ITC cart cue decoders three or four times in the same machines — you know, too long.

Well, in 1985, thanks to the Docket 8090 ruling, I happened to find an FM frequency that fell smack at my home in the woods on a mountaintop, in a community with no radio stations.

I had the frequency dropped in and applied, along with half of the East Coast. After four long years, I was awarded a CP, and my wife and I put on our very own station.

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

In spite of my limited knowledge of actually operating a station with programming, money, sponsors, money, insurance, money and just plain money, the station was quite successful even though we were the new guys in a market of 40 stations.

It was a lot of fun until deregulation, when the money guys bought up all of the stations they could and went for the throat of the successful stations, of which we were one.

A mom-and-pop operation is hard-pressed to go head to head with guys who give away $1,000 a day to listeners and have a sales staff of 20 cutthroat sales people, while we had three who were “nice guys.”

So my wife and I opted out and sold the station for a lowball figure just to be able to pay off the bank and get away from it.

I remember sitting in a burger joint after the closing saying to my wife, “I will never ever own another radio station again.” So I kept on with contract engineering a bunch of other stations; and all was well.

Can’t Say No
Over the years, we relocated a few times, and I wound up in northern Iowa doing engineering for a smaller group, taking care of 23 stations.

Although it was a decent job with decent pay, I was pushing 70, and years of traveling a thousand mile a week got to me. So I partially retired, keeping only the stations within an hour or two ride from home.

Then it happened. A broker had a small AM station in a small town for sale. Wow, it was a standalone AM. I love AM for the engineering opportunities and as an avid ham. It was a directional AM, even more fun.

The whole thing without a studio was on 15 acres of farmland, great. And most of all, the price was slightly more than a Ford F-150.

Wow, how could I go wrong? “If it flops, I can sell the farmland, cut the towers down and sell off the scrap iron and the equipment, and get my money back. Not only that, but it has an FM translator! Best of all worlds. This will be fun.”

At least that’s what I told my wife, who pointed out, “You said you would never own another radio station.” Well, I couldn’t pass it up.

Now, after operating for a few months, let me say that I wish the FM translator never existed. Single-handedly it has been the thorn to our total success.

 

Perception Is Reality
Why, you may ask?

Here we are in the middle of South Dakota, where the earth is solid sodium. The dry ground is white, the drinking water has got 530 mg per liter of sodium in it, but the ground conductivity is 30, best in the entire U.S. of A.

So this little 500-watter can be heard easily on the worst car radio 100 miles in just about every direction. The 2 mV/m contour in the lobe goes into North Dakota, about 90 miles away.

Okay, so much for this little screamer, now the FM. It’s a 250-watter at the same location as the AM. No mountains in eastern South Dakota, so it’s sitting on the prairie.

Most automobile radios can hear it 15 miles — then it’s gone.

Big deal, you say, what did you expect?

Well, most of the business people in the small town want to attract business from the other small towns around. Everyone in this town already buys from them.

So the business owner drives out of town with his car radio on FM and loses the signal before he gets out of sight of the town water tower.

To which he says, “I won’t advertise on your station, I can’t even hear it at my house 15 miles away, your coverage map lies.”

He neglects to check AM and discover that at 20 miles the whip on his car is glowing cherry red from the AM RF. So we don’t get a buy.

In other words, I would rather take my chances with 25% of the people who listen to the FM going to the AM and carrying it for 100 miles than giving the FM listeners the idea we peter out at 15 miles and never try AM.

I know it’s a different story in places like Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin and the like, where you can put the FM on a mountaintop and the ground conductivity is 1, so you can have a 250-watt FM that blows a 5 kW AM out of the water. But it ain’t so here.

I think my AM revitalization will involve pulling the plug on the FM and not offering the choice.

I see a lot of small-town AMs that succeed. From the service we give the town we will, but it won’t be from the business people in our city of license, it will be the people 50 miles out who never knew about the FM.

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

 

The post FM Translators for AMs Are a Double-Edged Sword appeared first on Radio World.

Maxar and SiriusXM employees pose with SXM-8 ahead of encapsulation in the fairing or nose cone of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Courtesy Maxar).

Another new satellite serving SiriusXM has completed orbital testing and has been handed over to the company, according to SiriusXM and manufacturer Maxar Technologies.

“SXM-8 will provide continuous, reliable delivery of SiriusXM’s audio entertainment and information services to consumers in the United States and will expand SiriusXM’s coverage area in Canada and the Caribbean,” according to an announcement.

It was launched from Florida in June. A similar new bird went up late last year.

The new satellites have expected service lives of 15 years; they replace XM-3 and XM-4 in the company’s total service constellation of six satellites.

[Related: “SiriusXM’s SXM-7 Satellite Is in Orbit”]

“SXM-8 is the ninth high-powered, digital, audio radio satellite built by Maxar for SiriusXM,” the companies announced.

“Built on Maxar’s 1300-class platform and designed to provide more than 15 years of service, SXM-8 is more than 27 feet tall and weighed nearly 7,000 kg at launch. SXM-8 has a large, mesh, unfurlable reflector almost 30 feet in diameter that will allow SiriusXM programming to reach its radios, including those in moving vehicles.”

The announcement was made by Maxar’s Senior Vice President of Space Programs Delivery Chris Johnsn and SiriusXM’s Senior Vice President of Satellite and Repeater Systems Engineering and Operations Bridget Neville.

The post SXM-8 Satellite Is Now Serving SiriusXM appeared first on Radio World.

A Wolftech News user screen

Thum+Mahr announced a partnership with Wolftech Broadcast Solutions.

The agreement focuses on Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland at the outset.

“In the first step, we will shape customer-specific workflows together,” said Thum+Mahr Chief Strategy Officer Stefan Mertens. “By implementing targeted SaaS solutions, we can now act even more effectively.”

Wolftech has expertise in software as a service and media management systems, among other things. It was founded in 2011 in cooperation with TV 2 Norway, which has acted as a “startup hub” for several companies. Arne Berven is CEO.

Thum+Mahr services include consulting, project management and IT integration for broadcast media. “We will distribute Wolftech’s solutions and they can count on us if they need consulting or project management know-how to work together,” a Thum+Mahr spokeswoman said.

The post Thum+Mahr Partners With Wolftech appeared first on Radio World.

Checking the turns-counter on the phasor. Write down the indications for each control before you begin your work.

If you maintain an AM directional, why not put the summer sunshine to good use and perform a little preventive maintenance (PM)?

With your transmitter off the air and the breakers and interlock in place to prevent re-energizing, use a strong LED flashlight to view the variable coil and capacitor couplings from the back of the phasor. Remember before you begin to copy down all the turns-counter indications for each control as shown in the photo.

Then while your assistant rocks the component crank from side to side, check to make sure the couplings are tight so the variable coil or capacitor rotates smoothly.

I can’t tell you how many phasors our crew was called in to readjust because the setscrews holding the crank coupling to the component had become loose, so even though the engineer had turned the crank, one turn only adjusted the component by a half or even a third of a turn.

[Check Out More of Workbench Here]

In such a case, you can see how quickly you can get a phasor mistuned. When these setscrews are loose, there’s no consistency in how much the component is adjusted as the crank is turned.

The process isn’t a time hog and may save you hours of readjustment. While you’re inside the phasor, tighten all other strap and tubing connections.

 

Oops!
In the May 8 Workbench, I referred to selecting tower electrical connections “metrically.” Tom Weber, a principal in Weber Broadcast Services out of Greenwood, Ind., points out that I should have written “decimally,” as in tenths of an inch.

He’s right; metrically would assume millimeters or centimeters, which we are not using. We are converting inches to a decimal equivalent!

Tom concluded his note, “Yours in pedantry.” The sign of a great engineer!

 

Parts Is Parts
If you’ve recently needed to buy any broadcast gear, or for that matter any electronics, you may have encountered delivery delays caused by a parts shortage. The worldwide situation is causing problems for a lot of suppliers, so keep that in mind as you plan late summer or fall projects.

To complicate things, Workbench contributors Paul Sagi and Charles “Buc” Fitch, P.E., both reminded us of a related problem: counterfeit parts, including circuit breakers.

Shown, a Square-D QO circuit breaker. Counterfeiting of CBs is a real problem; manufacturers like Schneider Electric have tried to raise awareness of the issue.

For example Square-D, part of Schneider Electric, which is headquartered in France, makes Homeline and QO circuit breakers in Mexico; but for various reasons the opportunity for counterfeiting such material is immense.

Also be aware that used and harvested circuit breakers, especially larger, more expensive ones above 60 amps, are out there in the marketplace. Most of these were rejected because of trip problems; they may be touched up cosmetically, perhaps with new lug screws to remove tooling marks, and then sold as new.

The problem extends all the way through replacement parts in a variety of industries. In the communications business, RF transistors are especially subject to international counterfeiters.

Paul and Buc have both seen reports of numbers being stripped from similar solid-state device packages. Unfortunately these look-alikes are of insufficient capability and do not meet the high-performance specs of the number now imprinted on the device. The cheaper chips are then sold at a premium price, realizing profits of 400% or more. Profits can be even higher if the substitute device is not even an RF transistor or a “pull” or dud, none of which will meet spec.

Many entities cooperate in these crimes and profit from them. Because so much manufacturing is now done outside of North America, the provenance of parts can be very iffy. If the price looks too good to be true, it probably is. Save yourself the frustration and buy your parts from reputable dealers.

Here are helpful resources on the counterfeiting of circuit breakers. At www.ecpowersystems.com/resources/circuit-breaker, scroll down to “How to spot fake circuit breakers.” Or Google “Identifying Counterfeit Square-D Circuit Breakers” and look for the result that points to www.lanl.gov.

Last, Schneider Electric has a page dedicated to awareness and action against counterfeits. “We take counterfeiting of our products seriously and pursue every means possible to stop this illegal activity while making the industry and public more aware of this critical safety concern,” it states. See www.se.com/us/en/work/support/counterfeit.

 

Poof! Soundproofing!
In his engineering career, Dan Slentz has used a variety of soundproofing materials in constructing studios. But he laments that many products have gotten very expensive, forcing him to search for alternatives to keep within a budget.

One option is common mineral wool insulation, the properties of which allow for excellent sound blocking in walls, more so than fiberglass.

For studios, Dan has built double walls that do not touch but have a foam board between them. He then places mineral wool in each 2 x 4 wall. He completes the job with double sheetrock on the outside.

This can be a bear to construct, but short of bringing in a pro “acoustician,” it is a functional poor-man’s construction.

Dan has also used Troy Board (which was named after the inventor’s second son). It’s like a “shredded-wheat” board material but it’s really heavy. It can be painted, and it’s meant to block audio transfer. Check out https://troyacoustics.com/applications/broadcast-recording.

If you’re looking for the cheapest acoustic foam, try the Foam Factory. While its prices have increased lately, they tend to be less than those of similar products. They also vacuum-suck their product before shipping, so the packages arrive very small; the instant you cut it open, Poof!, it opens up and decompresses, taking about a day to recover fully.

Find more info at www.thefoamfactory.com.

John Bisset, CPBE, has more than 50 years in the broadcasting industry and 31 writing Workbench. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.

Workbench submissions are encouraged and qualify for SBE recertification. Email johnpbisset@gmail.com. 

 

The post Workbench: How About Some PM for This AM? appeared first on Radio World.

We’re excited to bring you Radio World’s biggest ebook yet, providing a look at the state of global digital broadcast radio, with a focus on the major platforms DAB+, Digital Radio Mondiale and HD Radio.

In which countries have each of these technologies advanced the most? Where are they being considered? What should broadcasters know in 2021 about the rapidly changing car dashboard and how radio stations and metadata will appear to listeners there?

Read interviews and commentaries with leaders at WorldDAB, the DRM Consortium and Xperi Corp., each of whom assess the state of their respective rollouts.

You’ll also glean insights about digital radio, metadata, Android Automotive and other key trends from leaders of stakeholder organizations such as NAB PILOT, the European Broadcasting Union, Digital Radio UK, RadioDNS, Commercial Radio Australia, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, Nautel, 2wcom and Audi.

Read the ebook.

The post Trends in Digital Radio 2021 appeared first on Radio World.

With plans in place for the first in-person NAB Show in two and a half years, Radio World and its parent Future have announced the return of the popular Best of Show Awards for the convention.

RW’s sister brands TV Technology, Sound & Video Contractor, Mix, TVBEurope and Broadcasting + Cable will also participate.

“Manufacturers have not been sitting on their hands for the past year and a half,” said Radio World Editor in Chief Paul McLane, “and in the past month or two we have seen a rush of product announcements as they introduce products they’ve been thinking about and working on since the beginning of last year. These awards help shine the spotlight on them.”

Nominations are now open for manufacturers and service providers to submit their offerings. The deadline is Sept. 23.

The Program Guide from the most recent show in 2019, showing all nominees and winners, is available online as well.

The NAB Show, which was cancelled last year and was postponed this year from April, opens on Sunday Oct. 10.

The post Best of Show Awards at NAB Are Back appeared first on Radio World.

If you go to the NAB Show or Radio Show in October, it may be your first look at the massively expanded Las Vegas Convention Center. And you might also be able to take a ride in the Boring Tunnel Loop.

CNET posted this video report about the tunnel by Senior Editor Claire Reilly, which gives you a look:

The project, nicknamed “Teslas in a Tunnel,” opened in June based on a conception by Elon Musk. It is a three-station transportation system with 1.7 miles of tunnel, cored out by a special boring machine.

It connects the LVCC New Exhibit Hall with the familiar, North/Central/South Halls and is intended to reduce a walk of up to 45 minutes with a free 2 minute underground car ride (here’s a map). The Boring Co. would like to build it out to a much bigger system eventually.

An NAB official confirmed that the loop will be running during the NAB Show in October.

The post Get a Look at the LVCC’s Boring Tunnel Loop appeared first on Radio World.